


Scotty

by firecracker189



Series: It’s Classified [3]
Category: Ant-Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Gen, Littles Are Known, Non-Sexual Age Play, Teen!Bruce, Teen!Tony, Uncle!Phil, caregiver!pepper, daddy!Bucky, daddy!Phil, little!Clint, little!Scott, nsap
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-16
Updated: 2018-08-22
Packaged: 2019-06-11 12:04:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,230
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15315114
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/firecracker189/pseuds/firecracker189
Summary: Scott finally gets classified, and it's worse than he could have imagined.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Pepper is a temporary caregiver in this 'verse, and has her own tower floor. Things are strained with Tony romantically because she's always fostering another little before they find a permanent cg. There are various legal protections for littles about how they can and cannot be punished for things they do wrong. It's patently illegal for someone to not check classifications before condemning someone to a sentence at a trial, and if they're sentenced to the wrong punishment level like Scott was then it can cause huge repercussions for the firms that both prosecuted and defended during the trial. Not to mention reparations for the little that has been mistreated.

The results of his classification were worse than he’d ever imagined. That overly cheery girl in purple scrubs had bounced, yes, literally _bounced_ back into the room and plopped Scott’s file down on the table…and announced that he was a Little. He’d been flabbergasted. And not just because it meant there would be lawsuits given the fact he’d been incarcerated with neutrals and caregivers, and not in a little-friendly facility with punishments littles were able to handle.

“I..” he spluttered. “But I…I’ve never shown the slightest bit of inclination towards being a Little!” that infuriatingly _cheerful_ nurse had grinned at him again and patted his hand in a very patronizing manner.

“Don’t worry, Scott. A lot of people have things move pretty slowly until they fully acknowledge their biology.” Then she leaned forward agonizingly and her voice dropped to a soothing murmur. “Now, before we finalize things and get you set with a temporary guardian, I need to know, Scott. Why weren’t you classified as a teenager, when you ought to have been?”

Scott shrugged and tried to give her his best roguish grin, but he was sure it definitely didn’t come out that way. The farther and farther they moved through this process, the more and more his skin itched and he felt uncomfortable in his own body. “Um. Just wasn’t. Didn’t have the best home life, y’know? Dad didn’t exactly…look favorably on stuff like that. Mom wasn’t ever around, probably because she didn’t want to spend time with him anymore after the third affair. I just kinda…kept to myself. Didn’t have a lot of money to get down to get tested. Was an expensive bus ticket.” He bit his lip. “All my friends just kinda…assumed I was neutral or a Caregiver, so…I just went with it.”

Annoying Testing Lady had literally _cooed_ at him. Scott squirmed and pointed to his file. “Can we maybe get this finished? I uh, I didn’t get a lot of sleep last night and I’m kinda tired.” He lied.

* * *

 

By the time they’d finished, Scott was _not_ in a good mood. He was weary of the testing process and to top it all off, he’d been classified at about three years old. Scott couldn’t have been more glad when he was introduced to his temporary Caregiver.

The door opened and in walked a lady that Scott couldn’t say anything else about but that she was _pretty_! She was wearing one of those fancy business suits with matching shoes in light blue, and her eyes were all sparkly. She walked right up to him and bent down a little to smile at him. Scott thought she smelled really pretty.

“Scott? Hi, honey, my name is Virginia. But _you_ ,” She cooed and tapped his nose with a finger, making Scott giggle. “Can call me Pepper.”

Scott’s forehead wrinkled. “That’s a funny name.” He stated softly, suddenly feeling smaller than he could ever remember feeling.

Pepper laughed. “It’s only a nickname. Someone very dear to me started calling me that after something unfortunate happened at the office one day.” She stuck out a hand. “Come with me. I’ve got something for you.”

Scott took her hand and gave her a bashful smile. “Your hair is real pretty,” he said softly. Her hair flowed over her shoulders in red waves, and it looked so soft that all he wanted to do was run his fingers through it. He clung to her hand as she led him downstairs to the lobby.

“Now you wait right here.” Pepper told Scott with a soft smile, her heels clicking across the colorful tiles as she went behind the check-in desk and picked up a tote bag, returning to Scott and holding out his hand again. “Come with me. I have some things I want you to see.” Pepper led him to the bathroom and then shepherded him inside, locking the door behind them.

“What’s in there?” Scott asked curiously.

Pepper set the bag on the counter and smiled at him. “That, sweet boy, is a few things I picked up for you before I came over here.” She unzipped the bag and started to set things on the countertop.

Scott’s eyes widened. “Um, like what?” he asked, inching forward.

“Like…a new outfit!” Pepper flourished the shirt and shorts, showcasing the smiling ducks on the top and the matching appliquéd khaki shorts. Pepper put them back down and reached into the bag. “Or…a new stuffed animal!” She made the plush lion growl at Scott playfully and his eyes lit up. “ _Or,_ ” Pepper set the lion down on top of the clothes and reached into the bag once more. “Maybe a new pacifier?” She pulled out the puppy pacifier and then set it aside, turning towards Scott. “Now. How about we change you into something more comfy, hmm?”

Scott nodded tentatively. “S-sounds good,” He whispered, letting her get him out of his big boy clothes and into the ducky shirt. But the moment she brought out the pull-up he balked. “No!” He squeaked. “No! No! I’m a big boy, please!” Scott stomped his socked foot and his eyes filled with tears as he collapsed on the floor, sobbing angrily. He didn’t even care that he was half naked. He was overwhelmed.

“Oh, baby,” Pepper crooned softly, kicking off her heels and kneeling down on the floor beside him. “I know, it’s been a yucky day, hasn’t it? But I promise that if we get dressed and you wear your pull-up like a good boy, then you can pick out what show we watch before bed tonight. That sound like a deal?”

Scott wailed softly, immediately responding to the empathetic tone Pepper was using. “Don’t know any shows!” he cried, nose running down his face.

“Oh, honey, that’s alright!” Pepper assured him, pulling out a tissue and wiping his nose. “Don’t worry about that. You and me and Mister Lion over there can all cuddle up on the couch together and I’ll let you pick one. I know a lot of shows we can watch,” she consoled him. Scott sniffled and reached out to hug her. Pepper obliged happily, rubbing his back. “Don’t worry, honey. We’re gonna have a great time. Now let’s get those clothes changed and get in the car, huh?” She picked him up and stood him near the toilet, stripping him down. “Do you wanna use the potty before we get dressed?”

Scott blushed and scrubbed at his eyes, sitting down on the toilet while she put his old clothes into the bag.

“Lift up your feet?”

Scott complied and raised his toes so she could work the pull-up onto his calves, taking her hands and letting her stand him up and get him clean before she pulled it up snug around his waist. Then she made quick work of getting him bundled into his new outfit, cooing softly. “Don’t you look adorable!”

Scott blushed. “C’n I hold my toy now?”

“Of course, sweet boy. You’re so polite!” Pepper told him, clipping the pacifier to the shirt and handing him the lion. “Now let’s get those sandals on your feet and we can go home.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pepper and Scott adjust to their new life together, but Scott is overwhelmed.

The next morning the calls started coming in. Pepper was _furious_ that nobody had noticed during all the court proceedings that Scott hadn’t been classified, or even thought to get him tested before just throwing him into some dank prison cell somewhere to suffer. As soon as her head popped off the pillow at 5AM, she was ready to knock some heads together. She’d checked on Scott, adjusted the covers to cover up his feet, started a pot of coffee, and turned on the phone.

When she finally heard Scott stirring through the baby monitor, she hung up the phone and padded down the hallway. “Good morning, precious boy,” she cooed as she entered the room. Scott looked like the absolute cutest sight she’d ever seen, cuddling his lion with his pacifier in his mouth, hair all on end and bundled up in a brand new pair of puppy pajamas. As soon as he caught sight of her he sat up and burst into tears, dropping his lion and reaching out desperately. “Hey, what’s this, huh?” Pepper asked, as he crawled into her lap, wailing inconsolably around his pacifier.

Scott clung to Pepper and sobbed hard, overwhelmed by his intense emotions. “Oh, it’s alright!” Pepper insisted, rocking from side to side. “It’s okay, I know it’s scary. But sometimes people who’ve kept their classifications a secret, or not been classified at all can have a harder adjustment period than those who haven’t.” This news didn’t appear to make much of a difference to Scott, though. He simply sniffled loudly and wiped his nose on her robe. Pepper crooned to him, rocking until he’d soothed somewhat. “Oh, buttercup, it’ll be okay.” She pulled away some to wipe his face. “How about we go and make pancakes, hmm? Would that be better?” She kissed his forehead and he nodded forlornly. “You wanna grab your lion?” She asked, and Scott picked up the stuffed animal again, hugging it as she took his hand and they began to move towards the kitchen.

“JARVIS, who else is in the tower?” Pepper steered Scott to the table and sat him down.

_I believe Steve and Bucky are still asleep. Natasha and Clint are starting breakfast, and Bruce and Sir have just come up from the lab. Phil left around four this morning to go to the office. His insomnia is acting up again._

Pepper moved to the pantry and grabbed the box pancake mix. “Scotty, what do you want in your pancakes, sweetheart?”

“’Nanas?” Scott asked softly, playing with his lion, making it walk across the table.

“Bananas it is!” Pepper said with a big smile. Soon she’d chopped the fruit up and was mixing the batter, watching the oiled skillet heating on the stovetop.

“JARVIS, I think we might like some company later. Can you send Phil and Clint up around late afternoon?”

Pepper was fishing subtly, seeing if Phil could help her sort out some of the legal affairs while Clint distracted Scott. There was still the matter of the ex-wife and daughter to account for. Scott was a rare case all around, it seemed. He’d managed to suppress his classification long enough to get married and have a child before he’d been sentenced to prison. The divorce papers cited differences in personality as the reason for splitting up, but Pepper was convinced it had to do with Scott’s little side manifesting itself in ways that neither he nor his wife had quite understood at the time. When the court reconvened to discuss Scott’s case, they were sure to bring up the matter of partial custody. Pepper had a feeling he’d be ruled unfit to care for Cassie anymore, and that full custody would be granted to Maggie and her new husband. Scott was likely to be devastated by it all, and she wanted to have a good few weeks with him to let him adjust before anyone started trying to get him to testify in such a scary and tense environment.

Most Littles didn’t hold up well in those situations; even if they were Big when they went into court they usually ended up Little within the first hour or two. It had certainly happened when Bucky was being questioned about his treatment at the hands of HYDRA. Steve had broken down loudly in the middle of the trial, and Pepper was absolutely convinced that he’d partially influenced the jury with his crying for his daddy. They’d ended up clearing Bucky of all charges, citing the fact that he’d been tortured and manipulated both with psychotropic drugs and forcefully induced seizures. He’d never been able to quite reclaim his agency, what with all the evidence for traumatic brain injury and memory loss Bruce, Phil, and Tony had dug up. Tony had been such a trooper during all that. Pepper was so proud of him. Even when he’d figured out that Bucky had been the one to kill his parents, he still hadn’t held it against him once he’d done some hacking and figured out just what had been done to Bucky over the last few decades. According to Phil, he’d been wanting to help ever since they’d recovered Bucky. Pepper had to admit that the new arm he’d created for Bucky was an absolute marvel. Bruce had told her once, over a late night cocoa and cookie plate, that they’d even worked on using nano-tech to help get Bucky back to working order mentally speaking. She’d never cease to be amazed by those boys and their big brains but bigger hearts.

Pepper shook herself and realized she’d burnt a batch of pancakes while she was on her little mental excursion. Hastily dumping them in the trash, she poured more batter into the pan and sighed softly. Her first day with Scott and she’d already burned breakfast. That must form a great impression of her in his little mind. Peeking over at him, she noted that he didn’t seem bothered at all, absorbed in playing with the lion she’d gotten him. Good. At least she hadn’t traumatized him somehow. The poor kid seemed to have enough baggage already from his childhood.

Pepper dished up the freshly cooked pancakes and rooted around in the pantry for the syrup. “Scotty, do you want syrup?”

He nodded and she smiled, setting the plate in front of him. “There we go!” Pepper squeezed some of the amber liquid over his steaming pancakes. “Do you want milk or juice, honey?” she asked as she set the bottle by her own place.

Scott’s eyes lit up and his tummy rumbled loudly. “Um. Want juice, please.” He said with a flush.

Pepper’s eyes twinkled. “Alright. Juice coming up. I got you some sippy cups the other day, now we can use them!” She filled a Toy Story cup with some apple juice and put it by his elbow, moving back to the bar and getting herself a plate. Scott had already started in with his hands by the time she sat back down.

“Yummy!” he cried, giving her a grin with full chipmunk cheeks.

Pepper laughed. “Don’t talk with your mouth full, but yes! They are! They’re one of my favorites.” She’d save the ‘use silverware’ talk for next meal. He was having so much fun, she didn’t want to quash it.

_Excuse me, Ms. Potts. Phil says he will be back after lunch, and Natasha is grateful for a free afternoon. What time shall I send he and Clint up?_

“Uh, how about two o’clock?” Pepper waited for the AI to ask Phil, watching as Scott ate like a man who didn’t know where his next meal would come from. She looked at him closer and frowned. Now that she scrutinized carefully, she could tell his clavicle stuck out a bit more than she would like, and that his arms were a bit skinner around than she thought was healthy. That boy needed more meat on his bones, and she was going to do it with love and good home-cooked food.

_Phil says he will be here at promptly two o’clock, with Clint. Clint wants to add that he will be bringing some toys for Scott to play with._

Pepper smiled softly. “Thank you, JARVIS. Let him know that’s very kind.”

Scott licked his fingers and burped loudly. “’Scuse me.” He squeaked, squirming in his chair.

Pepper put her fork down. “Scott, do you have to go potty?” she asked pointedly, and he shook his head. “Are you sure?”

Scott shook his head again, squirming more. “I think we should go, just in case. If you need to go, that’s good! But if you don’t, there’s no harm in trying.” She told him gently, standing up and wiping his hands off with a napkin. He let himself be led to the bathroom, feeling incredibly more small as Pepper helped him undress and sit on the toilet.

“What do you want to do after this?” She asked him, helping him wash his hands.

Scott shrugged.

“We can watch tv, or we can play with toys or read a book…” She listed off a few things as she dried his hands off.

“Book,” he said shyly, and she kissed his head.

“Good choice. This afternoon Clint is coming over to play for a while. How’s that sound? He’s bringing some toys, too.”

“Don’t know.” Scott shrugged, and she looked at him with confusion.

“Why not, honey? Don’t you want to make a friend? Clint’s very nice, I promise! He’s the closest age to yours in the entire tower.”

Scott shrugged again, looking a little withdrawn. “Meetin’ people is scary.” He finally whispered, and her heart broke.

“Well, that’s okay, baby. I’ll be right here, and so will Phil! You remember Phil? He’s Clint’s uncle, and Tony and Bruce’s daddy.” Pepper felt a twinge of guilt as she mentioned Tony. She wondered not for the first time if she ought to call him, try and patch things together. But Scott shifted beside her and all other thoughts left her brain. She had a little one to take care of. Relationship problems could wait. “Come on, big man. Let’s go find a story to read together.”

Scott took her hand and she led him to the living room, to the big bookshelf overflowing with books for all ages. Previously she’d watched anyone from about Steve’s age to Tony’s age. Her bookshelf had everything from _Magic Treehouse_ to _Goodnight Moon_. Scott looked awestruck. She laughed. “There’s a lot to choose from, but I think the bottom three shelves are where you want to look,” Pepper instructed gently. Scott sat down on the floor and began looking through the picture books, finally standing up with three of them clutched to his chest. “You want to read those three?” she asked, and he nodded. “Alright. Go on to the sofa and we can get nice and cozy.” Pepper grabbed a couple large fuzzy blankets from the closet as she passed, and once Scott had sat down she tucked one around him and his lion. Then she sat beside him and tucked the other one around her lap, reaching for the books. “Come snuggle up next to me, and we’ll get started.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Phil helps Pepper look over Scott's case. Clint and Scott play together, and Liho makes a new friend.

Once they finished reading, Scott had fallen asleep on the sofa for a couple hours, giving Pepper time to sneak back to working on preparing notes about his inevitable trial. She worked until she felt something soft at her ankle, nearly causing herself to jump out of her skin. “Oh!” Pepper put a hand to her chest. “Liho, you little scamp!” She cried softly, and the cat in question purred as she jumped on the table, laying across the warm laptop. “You really do just wander wherever you want hmm?” Pepper cooed, giving the kitty a rub at her jaws. Liho twitched her tail in a self-satisfied manner. “What, was Natasha not able to give you your cuddles today?” She teased the cat, who trilled cutely. “Alright, fine. I’ll take a break. No need to be so forceful about it.”

Pepper stood up and padded into the living area to check on Scott. “Wake up, sweet boy!” She murmured, gently rubbing at his side. “Time to go change into play clothes!” Scott sat up and yawned, blinking at her softly. “Come on,” she coaxed, holding out her arms. As she’d hoped, he was sleepy enough that she could carry him to the bedroom. “Arms up,” she whispered, stripping off the rumpled pajama shirt. Darting over to the dresser, Pepper dropped the dirty shirt in the hamper and pulled a clean one from the top drawer. “And again,” she asked softly, sliding the soft red shirt over his head. She took his hands and stood him up, taking the pajama pants off of him. “Stay right there.” Pepper ordered as she dropped the pants in the hamper too. “Jeans, I think, for today.” She decided, pulling a pair of soft elastic waist jeans from the second drawer. Pepper pulled a dry pull-up from the next drawer down. “Can you step out of that for me?” She asked, the jeans hanging over her arm. Scott wiggled his hips and the pull-up fell to his feet with a little plop. Blushing furiously, he picked it up and walked over to the trashcan, throwing it away. “Thank you for throwing that away.” Pepper complimented as she handed him the clean underwear. Surprisingly, Scott got himself into the bottom half of his clothes with no incident. Even Clint had trouble sometimes getting everything to be right side out or frontwards instead of backwards.

When the two of them got back to the living room, Liho had migrated to the armchair by the fireplace and was twitching her tail back and forth, yellow eyes surveying the room in a queenly manner. Scott stopped in his tracks. “Kitty,” he murmured in surprise.

Pepper laughed softly. “This is Liho. She belongs to Natasha, but she more or less has free reign of the tower. She comes and goes as she likes, visiting. It seems like she’s decided to come and see us today.”

Scott drifted towards the chair and ever so carefully stuck out a hand to the cat. “Hi, kitty,” he murmured as Liho sniffed his hand and began to purr. An agreeable if temperamental cat, Liho got along with nearly everyone she met, Scott being no exception. She pushed to her dainty little feet and arched her back, bumping her little head at his fingers. Liho chirped at him and he started scratching her jaw gently. “Oh, you’re a good kitty!” he cried, pleased.

Pepper nodded. “She’s a good kitty.” She agreed, and jumped slightly as a knock sounded at the door. “Oh, goodness. Look at me! I got so caught up in watching you with the kitty that I’m jumpy!” Scott laughed at her antics and kissed Liho’s little head.

“Good kitty!” he cooed softly, and Liho raised up on her little back feet and nuzzled at Scott’s face, paws on his shoulders.

“Thanks for coming,” Pepper said softly to Phil as he stepped inside, followed by Clint.

“No problem. I hear you’ve got rather a difficult case on your hands with Scott.” He replied, equally as quiet. Clint squirmed beside him and tugged on his arm.

“Can I go play now?”

“Of course. Be nice.” Phil was already a little distracted, and let Pepper lead him into the study. Meanwhile, Clint slipped into the living room and took in the sight of Scott sitting on the floor now, Liho in his lap.

“That’s Liho.” Clint spoke up, and Scott looked up quickly.

“I know. I met her a minute ago.” He replied, and Clint took another few steps forward.

“I’m Clint.”

Scott let Liho take a few dainty steps towards Clint and rub her jaw at his ankles. “M’Scott.”

He seemed withdrawn, shy even, so Clint sat down on the floor and put his bag of Legos to the side, petting Liho. “I brought Legos. D’you like to play with Legos, Scotty?”

Scott shrugged. “Played with Cassie before.” He murmured, suddenly seeming sad enough that Liho let out a little concerned mew, trotting over to him and butting her head at his stomach.

“Who’s that?” Clint asked, confused as he dumped out the big Legos on the ground.

“M-my daughter.” Scott admitted, and picked up the cat, hugging her. Liho let out several mews as he cradled her close, ending on a deep purring.

Clint looked thunderstruck, dropping a Lego on the carpet as he looked at Scott. “You have a _daughter_? But-but you’re a Little!” It was far more of Big Clint rather than Little Clint now, his jaw working in surprise. “How is that even possible?”

Scott hid his face in Liho’s soft fur. “Was only classified yesterday.”

“O-oh. Uh, sorry. I-I’m sorry. Nat- my caregiver- always says I shouldn’t ask too many questions. I have a nasty habit, Big or Little, of not keeping my mouth shut.” Clint gave him an apologetic face. “Let’s just play, okay? I promise from now on I’ll keep my mouth shut unless you want to talk.” He offered, holding out a Lego.

It was a moment before Scott put Liho down and scooted forward. Liho wouldn’t leave him alone, though. She crawled into his lap and purred comfortably as he reached out for the Legos.

As soon as Phil had sat down at the desk, he and Pepper were elbow deep in Scott’s files and casework. “This is a mess.” Phil mumbled, and Pepper hummed in agreement. “I mean, he doesn’t get classified, gets married, has a kid, then gets convicted of a huge crime…” Phil flicked through more of Scott’s pages. “Maggie divorces him, remarries, and they still haven’t filed for complete custody.” He looked at Pepper with a serious look. “How on earth has he not snapped long before we made him get classified?”

Pepper shook her head with a sad look. “I can’t say, Phil. Can’t say at all, except to say that Scott seems to be made of tough stuff. For all accounts, he’s been a great dad to Cassie, despite not being able to keep a job for long. But he’s going to be devastated if the court bars him from being able to have her stay with him.”

Phil puckered his lips like he’d swallowed something sour. “I know. I just can’t seem to get my head around the fact that he’s managed to suppress a toddler headspace for this long while raising a kid. I mean, how on earth has he not lapsed before now to the detriment of Cassie?”

Pepper went back to perusing previous court rulings on the matter. “We have to help him, Phil. He’s the sweetest kid I’ve watched to date. I’d hate for him to be sabotaged by his own headspace.”

Phil sighed heavily. “We can build a case, but it’s up to the jury to decide whether or not Scott can see Cassie. You know the legal system tends to treat Littles as sub-par citizens. They’re not legally their own entity once they’ve been classified. They’re dependents again, and the legal system has to deal with them in a different way, there’s workplace regulations, mentally they’re considered to be unfit for parenting full time. Not a lot of them actually end up marrying, fewer have kids because they just can’t parent properly if they have to be in headspace for a certain amount of days each year. Hell, SHIELD comes narrowly close to breaching those laws with some of its field agents. Can’t tell you how many times I’ve had to yell at someone to get Clint what he needs around here. Natasha hates it. She’s always irate. Bucky has his hands full trying to get Steve proper treatment. But we can’t change the system. We can only try as much as we can to help those we love.”

Pepper pushed to her feet. “Cup of cocoa?”

“Please. Shot of whiskey?”

“Naturally. I’ll get cups down for the boys too.”

While Pepper got the cream started on the stove, Phil looked in on the boys. “What are you two up to?” he asked warmly, forcing himself not to look as troubled as he felt.

Clint perked up. “Look!” he hollered. “Scotty and I built a castle!” Clint gestured proudly and Scott beamed.

“And Liho’s inside!” Scott giggled. “She wouldn’t stop goin’ in there when we were buildin’ it, so we just made her the princess!” One tiny paw poked out the entrance to the Lego palace, as if to prove his point.

Phil squatted down and let Clint hang off his shoulders. “And does Princess Liho like her new home?” he asked Scott, playing along.

“We put the stuffed rhino in there so she wouldn’t be lonely.” Scott said, and started putting other toys around the top and sides.

Phil chuckled. “I’m sure she isn’t lonely. That was very nice of you to make sure she had a friend.”

Pepper poked her head out of the kitchen. “I’ve got cocoa!” she called, and both boys scrambled to get to their feet, Phil following slowly. He wished that they could help that sweet boy somehow. He just couldn’t see how it would be possible for him to have partial custody of Cassie anymore. It killed him to think that once he was adjusted to his classification and headspace, they would more likely than not have to prepare him for the fact that he couldn’t be a father anymore.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony and Pepper talk about their relationship, Tony and Scotty make slime, Pepper is amazing and teaches Scott a lesson about differences. Warnings for mentions of abuse and violence, and things I've mentioned in other stories where Obadiah Stane was verbally abusive to Tony.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not necessarily Scott centric, and kind of a filler/bottle episode, but hey. I'm proud of it and it wrote so easy this time. Also let's all just universally acknowledge right now that Pepper is amazing and that she really wants Scott to learn about different gender identities and to be accepting and kind to people rather than being mean to them. I have the warm fuzzies now. <3 :) Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy this one. I didn't quite feel like jumping right into "let's tear Scott apart by putting him through trial and maybe losing custody rights to his daughter" just yet.

Pepper was glad she could count on Phil’s help to keep up with research for the upcoming trial, which had now been set for two weeks after Scott’s Adjustment Period was up. The courts wanted plenty of time for him to be able to be Big for the decisions they would be making, but also knew they had to prepare for the fact that even then he might still age down due to the stress. 

However, now that Scott had been in the tower for a couple of weeks and had the time to be Little for a while, Pepper was toying with the idea of letting him meet the motley crew from downstairs. Or at least letting him  meet them one or two at a time. Perhaps this afternoon she’d call Loki and see if he wanted to bring Thor in to play with Scotty. 

She walked down the hall to his room, pushing the door open. “Time to wake up, love,” Pepper called softly. Scott squirmed and whined, grumpily curling further into his cocoon of blankets. He’d pulled the comforter up so far it was over his head and part of his legs, but his feet stuck out completely. “Baby, c’mon,” Pepper insisted once more. “I know you’re probably wet and icky, and we don’t want you to get a rash.” She’d learned over the past few weeks that Scotty was a very grumpy boy in the mornings. It was an interesting experience to see him come out of his shell and get to figure out the ins and outs of being Little and to form his own personality as a little one. “Come on, pumpkin, up and at ‘em!” Pepper tried again, walking into the room and pausing to tickle his bare feet. Scott squeaked and curled up into a little ball, face poking out of the blankets to glare at her. She laughed softly. “Oh, come on, honey.  Come get up and we’ll put you in the bath.” 

Scott sat up groggily, pull-up squishing underneath him as he rubbed his eyes. “Clean,” he agreed with a hum, making grabby hands at her as she moved closer. Pepper unwrapped the covers from around him and picked him up, carrying him down the hall to her large bathroom and sitting him on the toilet. 

“Alright, sweet boy, you wait right there and I’ll get the bath started.” Pepper could easily have asked JARVIS to do it, but she thought that introducing the AI to Scott might be a bit much given everything else Scott had to handle. So she did things by hand. Pepper checked the temperature before dumping in two capfuls of creamy vanilla bubble bath, swirling it around a bit so the bubbles would start forming. Straightening up, she turned back to Scotty with a smile. “Okay, clever boy, what kind of bath toys do you want to play with?” She asked as she stripped him of his shirt. 

Scott thought about it a minute as Pepper stood him up and slipped his pants off. “Um, boats, please,” he decided as she ripped down the sides of the dirty pull-up to get it off him easier. 

“Boats it is!” Pepper tossed the wet pull-up in the trash and left the room, grabbing a few of his plastic boats from the toy chest. On her way back she got one of the extra big bath towels, a new pull-up, and a clean tee. Draping a pair of shorts over her shoulder, she returned to the bathroom just as the tub was filling up. “Hop in,” she told him as she put the things on the counter. Scott stepped into the water and sank down with a little hum that had her smiling. Pepper turned off the tap and then dropped the boats into the water. They bobbed around enticingly in the sea of pearlescent beige bubbles, and soon he was distracted enough that she could start washing him. Scotty told an elaborate story to himself as she lathered up the washcloth and gently scrubbed his feet and legs. By the time she’d gotten his groin and sides taken care of, the imaginary fishermen from his boats had all been eaten by some sort of sea monster. It was all incredibly entertaining, she thought as she cupped a hand over his eyes and wet his hair. 

By the time the pair emerged hand in hand from the bathroom, Scott now fully dressed and chattering away eagerly, a visitor had arrived. Pepper stopped short as they reached the living room, causing Scott to get yanked back by her hand. “ _ Tony _ ?” Pepper’s eyebrows rose so far they got lost in her bangs. 

“Bruce and I had a fight. We yelled at each other, and now I’m crashing here.” he said simply, from where he sat on the sofa, looking like it physically pained him to keep up the bravura of an adult Tony Stark. 

Nevermind that they hadn’t spoken for weeks, and that their relationship was in rocky territory--Pepper’s Caregiver brain was in overdrive as she took in the fragile looking teen on her sofa. “Oh.” she said carefully, as Scott pressed up against her and looked at Tony curiously. “Okay. Clint was coming over to finger-paint with us later. Is that alright? Or do you want some space? I can tell him to come some other time if you’d like,” she offered as she rubbed at Scott’s shoulder. “I know that you hate it when you and Bruce disagree on things. If you need to talk, we can.” 

Tony looked relieved that she’d picked up on his tenuous headspace. He hugged one of the throw pillows to his chest and wiggled his bare toes a little, thinking. “I...want space.” he whispered, looking so apologetic about needing to take time for himself that Pepper was nearly upset. He shouldn’t ever have to apologize for needing to take some time to work on himself, or to just breathe, but goddamn if Obadiah Stane hadn’t ruined that sweet kid. 

“That’s alright,” she agreed immediately, with a comforting smile. “That’s perfectly fine. The three of us can just have a nice day in, how’s that sound?” 

“That sounds...nice.” 

Tony sounded drained and exhausted and all Pepper wanted to do was hug him tight and maybe make him a square meal. “Good.” she nodded. “Did you put your stuff in the bedroom?” 

He nodded. “Um. I can sleep on the sofa. I don’t wanna impose.” 

“Anthony Edward Stark, you listen to me and you listen good.” 

Tony instantly looked up, thinking he was going to get in trouble for inserting himself into her business and her life and her new kid like that. 

“You are never an imposition to me. Ever. You never have been and you never will be,” Pepper said firmly, blue eyes alight with fire. “If you ever need me, I’m here. Simple as that.” She gestured to the space in front of her. “Now come give me a hug.” 

Tony rose obediently and padded over to her, wrapping his arms around her shyly. Pepper hugged him deep and long and it was so damn soothing he wanted to cry a little when she pulled away. “Missed you.” he mumbled, quickly looking down at his feet as he shoved his hands in the pockets of his sweats. 

Pepper’s heart nearly broke. “I missed you too.” she whispered, startled as Scott tugged at her shirt. She’d forgotten he was there for a moment. “What is it, baby?” She stroked his cheek softly. 

“Hungry.” Scott eyed Tony warily. Tony hadn’t seemed to notice him. 

“Of course,” Pepper kissed Scotty on the forehead and took his hand again. “Tony? Want to join us for breakfast? Chocolate chip pancakes?” 

Scott wiggled happily. “Pancakes!” He cheered, happy to have them on a day that wasn’t pancake day. 

“Um. Sure.” 

Pepper looked like she’d been given the biggest gift in the world as he agreed, her face lighting up in a smile that made Tony ache for the other times when she’d smiled at him like that. 

“Excellent. Now come on in the kitchen and help me get things started.” 

Tony didn’t officially meet Scott until the last plate had hit the table. He sat down across from the two of them and Scott gave him a big wave. Despite his upset over the fight he’d had with Bruce, he couldn’t help but chuckle softly. “Hi there. My name’s Tony. What’s yours?” Tony started to dig into his pancakes. 

“M’Scott,” Scotty replied, licking some whipped cream off his hand. “I’m little but I wasn’t always a Little. First I was Big for a long time.”

Tony relished the chocolatey flavor with a slight tinge of vanilla essence as he took another bite. “I wasn’t always like this either. I was Big for a long time, too.” he explained as he took a drink of coffee. 

Scott looked him up and down and picked a grape from his plate, chewing it slowly. “Did somebody else be mean to you too? My daddy was mean to me and said that if my test showed i was a Little and not a Big or a Neutral then...then he’d be real mad.” Scott squirmed a little bit. “When daddy was real mad it usually meant he’d been drinkin’ a lot, and that means he hit me.” he looked over at Pepper. “I gotta go potty.” Scott wiggled out of his chair and ran from the room, leaving a trail of clothing behind him. 

Pepper’s eyes widened at Scott’s words, and she kept a very keen eye on Tony the whole time, right up to Scott’s exit. “Tony,” she said gently.

Tony was rigid in his chair, fork hanging uselessly between his mouth and the plate, brows drawn together in confusion and eyes colored with emotion. “How…” he swallowed. “How did he know about Obie?” he whispered. 

“Tony, he doesn’t. I would never betray your trust like that. Scott’s a baby, you know how they talk about things and don’t have any filter.” 

Her eyes were sad and yet somehow still warm and Tony just wanted to get lost in them. He shifted and put his fork down with a soft clunk. “He...he had….someone hurt him?” He asked finally, feeling frankly upset and extremely angry at the thought. Sure, Tony wasn’t a Big, but he wasn’t  _ that _ little either. He was passable enough that even sometimes when he wasn’t feeling so big he could still handle things with Obie. But people like Clint, or like Scott...that wasn’t the case. There was no hiding it when you slipped. But then...he frowned. “Doesn’t he have an ex-wife? And a kid? I remember Steve and Clint saying something back when we first learned about him.” 

Pepper knew where he was going, reaching forward and putting one hand on his, rubbing light circles with her thumb. “Yes, he does. But he doesn’t know about custody agreements or any of that stuff. I’m not even sure Big Scott knew about just what it meant to risk hiding a classification like that. Don’t tell him, please.” She urged. “I want to talk to him when he’s ready. But until then, just...keep your mouth shut about Cassie and everything.” 

Scott came pelting back into the room again, wiggling back into his clothes and Tony nodded softly, licking his lips. “Okay,” he agreed, the surface of his skin tingling where her thumb had been as she pulled away to go help Scott turn his shirt the right way around. He poked at his food as Pepper returned Scott to his chair and coaxed him to eat some more breakfast. Oh, he knew all about what it was like to have some scumbag control you so much you were terrified of your own biology. When he was fully Big again, Tony was  _ definitely _ making sure the lawyers assigned to the kid’s case were the best that money could buy. And with a Stark, money was no object. 

“Tony?” It took her saying his name a few times to draw Tony from his thoughts. 

Tony blinked like a deer in the headlights. Scott was nowhere to be found, and everything but his own dishes were off the table. “Um,” he mumbled dumbly. 

Pepper laughed. “I was just wondering whether you felt like eating anything else. You really should. I don’t know when the last time you ate was.” 

“Uh. Okay.” he said, and took another several bites of the delicious but cold pancakes, a burning desire to please Pepper bubbling in the pit of his stomach. It was like a drug, having her say nice things to him and having her touch him again, hell, just being  _ around _ her again. In no time flat, he’d cleaned his plate save for a few stray grapes, which he popped into his mouth with ease, giving her a smile veiled with several layers of emotion. 

“Excellent,” Pepper murmured. “Now clean those dishes up and you can come see what we’re doing in the living room.” 

She left the kitchen and he caught himself sniffing the air where she’d stirred it up with her ponytail. It smelled just like her perfume. He stood up and took his dishes to the sink, running them underneath the spray for a moment before sticking them into the dishwasher. Curious, he ambled into the living room to find cling film covering the coffee table. Scott was bouncing excitedly on his bottom as Pepper mixed up something in a bowl. 

“What’s that?” he asked, Scott turning to stare at him as he walked towards the table. 

“Slime!” Scott squeaked happily, pointing to the various bowls on the table. “We got lotsa stuffs you can put in there to make it feel different, or to make it cool,” he explained. “There’s glitter and beads and food coloring, and...and if you want it to make cool sounds you can make the kind that’s foamy but not like...not gooey just foamy!” 

“Oh,” Tony sank down beside Scott and watched Pepper stir up the first batch. “And what kind’s in there?” 

“This is my batch, just to test,” Pepper answered, dumping the glittery pink slime out onto the table with a wet plop that had Scott giggling. She picked out a few beads and kneaded them experimentally into the slime until they were worked in it enough not to fall out. “There. I think I like my glittery pink kitty cat slime!” She made a little face and Scott giggled again. Tony felt his stomach do a somersault as Pepper smiled at him, and he blushed a little. 

“Um,” Tony’s voice was soft and tentative, not at all like his usual self, but then...he wasn’t Tony Stark, billionaire and adult. He was Tony Coulson, a shy teenager in the presence of the girl that had his heart racing. “Can I try it?” 

Pepper nodded. “Sure. What kind of slime would you like to make, Tony?” 

Her voice was gentle and it put him at ease, like the feeling he got whenever he drank warm tea and it puddled in his stomach and made his whole body relax. “Uh, I want the...uh, I want the foam kind.” 

“What color do you want?” Pepper reached over and got the liquid starch, pouring a little into the bowl before adding the styrofoam beads. 

“Red, please,” he murmured, as Scott poked at Pepper’s kitty slime, enthralled by its texture.

Tony watched her mix it all together, content to sit back and let someone else do the work for a change. Once she’d mixed it up so that it wouldn’t bleed color onto his hands, he took the blob of lumpy slime and experimentally flexed his fingers. The sound was...nice. He liked the way it moved beneath his hands and the way it was cool and somehow room temperature at the same time. He was intrigued by this kind of basic simple chemistry, not to mention it was something he could play with, and he loved doing things with his hands. 

Once Tony was satisfactorily occupied, Pepper leaned over and poked Scott’s nose softly. “And what about you, hmm? You want to make some, or are you gonna steal mine?” 

Scott looked affronted. “No! Stealing’s bad! Was borrowing! ‘Sides, it’s got pink and kitties...and  _ glitter _ ! Those are girly things.” He said seriously, setting it back down and pointing. “I want blue and pirate beads please.” 

Pepper mixed up another batch quickly, adding in the beads he’d requested. “Y’know, not everything is a girl thing or a boy thing. Some boys like pink and some girls like pirates,” she said conversationally as she finished up kneading in his beads. 

“Phil likes pink,” Tony piped up. “And Thor likes glitter. Clint wears tutus sometimes and Bruce loves cats.” he gave a little shrug, not taking his eyes off the slime as he stretched and toyed with it. “Uncle Bucky cooks and Aunt Tasha likes motorcycles.” 

Scotty squished his slime between his fingers and frowned. Pepper noted that he was still having trouble understanding and absently pressed her fingers into her own pile of glittery slime. “Sometimes, you can be a boy or a girl and just like stuff that’s not usually associated with boys or girls. Sometimes people feel like they’re a boy sometimes and sometimes they’re a girl. And some people feel like they’re not either gender. But the thing I love about people is that they come in all different types, and that makes us special. I love the people that figure out they’re a different gender on the inside than they are on the outside, I love the people that feel like their gender is the same on the inside as on the outside, I love people who don’t feel like they are any gender at all, and I love people that feel like they’re both genders sometimes.” She smiled at him. “The thing that’s important to remember is that we need to realize that our differences make us special and unique and important. Because a lot of people are very mean and try to use those differences as reasons to hate someone else and say very bad things to them. Which is why it’s our job to be nice to people and to make sure that each and every person, whether it’s a girl that likes motorcycles or a boy that likes tutus, is someone that we’re nice to and that we make them feel like they’re meaningful to us. Does that make sense, baby?” 

Scott looked at Tony, then he looked at Pepper. “Bein’ different is good, and we should love everybody, ‘cause if people don’t know we love ‘em, then they’ll be really sad! Nobody wants to be really sad, which is why we….um...we…” he brightened. “That’s why we gotta tell people we love ‘em and that bein’ different’s a good thing.” he concluded with a big nod that made Pepper laugh. 

“Oh, you’re so smart, honey,” she cooed, and Scott wiggled happily. 

Tony squished his slime around and looked down at his hands. That was why he loved Pepper. He’d come out to her as pansexual and she hadn’t even batted an eyelash, just taken it in stride and embraced him for it. Of course, that was before his classification had caused a rift in their relationship. But he felt hopeful after having spent a little time with her. Even if Scott was there, too. 

Slime time ended up being about thirty minutes or so, before Pepper decided it was time to do something else, and Tony’s butt started protesting sitting on the floor. “How about we watch a movie?” she asked, and Scott whooped loudly. “Inside voices! My goodness!” She scolded him lightly as Tony jumped. 

“Tony picks.” Scott demanded, leaving the slime on the table and toddling over to the hallway. “Gotta go get Lion.” he headed down the hall towards his room and Tony unfolded himself from the floor. 

“Blanket?” Pepper asked, and he nodded. 

“Sure. Gotta get cozy for a movie,” he pointed out, wandering to the closet and grabbing a soft plush blanket. The oversized material was the softest grey color and texture. He burritoed himself in the long blanket as he situated himself on the sofa. The blanket was so long his feet didn’t even stick out, which he appreciated. By the time Scott got back, he’d settled on a movie. “Alright, squirt,” he murmured. “This one’s my favorite. You ever seen  _ Wreck It Ralph _ before?” 

Scotty snuggled up to Pepper and she tucked a blanket around them both. “Nuh uh. Haven’t seen a lotta movies. But Clinty showed me  _ Nemo _ and  _ Lion King _ and  _ Frozen _ and  _ Tangled _ ...um...and some others. I can’t remember the names.” 

Goddamnit, he was cute. Tony found himself chuckling deep in his chest the way he did when he was in ‘big brother’ mode for Clint or Steve. “That’s okay. This one’s really good.” he promised as he clicked on the icon. He’d have to ask Pepper later why she wasn’t letting JARVIS do anything like she usually did. He was curious. 

* * *

The afternoon flew by, and soon Tony was facing the awkward inevitable ‘alone with Pepper’ conversation. He hadn’t moved from his nest on the couch as she put Scott down for a nap. She came back into the room and sat down and just stared at him. Not in a creepy way or an angry way or even an expectant way, just… an open way. He sighed and wiggled around till he was comfortable again. “We oughta talk while he’s asleep.” 

She hummed softly. “I guess so. But I never said you have to talk to me, Tony. I just said I’d listen if you  _ wanted _ to talk to me.” 

He turned and wiggled up out of the blanket so he could see her face. “I love you.” he blurted. “I don’t know what happened or why we haven’t talked or why I feel like it’s my fault because of my goddamn classification, but all I know is that I love you and it’s been driving me crazy sitting here all day looking at you and listening to you and smelling your perfume, and I have to say it before I change my mind. Also I kinda wanna kiss you but I don’t know if that’s okay because I am most definitely not Big right now and I think that might not be an okay thing. I just thought you should know that I want to kiss you. Because I do.” 

Pepper let him blurt everything out in classic Tony style, her brows arching. “Tony,” she murmured softly, watching as the look in his eye changed from determined to slightly afraid. God, she hated that he was afraid. She’d never meant him to be afraid of talking about their relationship. “What I meant was that we should keep this on hold until you were ready. I was always willing to pick up where we left off. I just wanted to make sure that you were adjusted and ready, because I knew you had a lot of baggage surrounding your classification. But...I love you too. That’s never changed. I’m sorry you’ve been so torn up about this, I really am. And...maybe I’ve focused too much on fostering and not enough on you and that’s my fault one hundred percent.” She grabbed his hand and squeezed it tightly. “But I never ever meant for you to think that I didn’t care about you. I just...got a little carried away thinking about all those kids with no home when I knew that once you’d found Phil you had  _ such _ a good home and an amazing brother, and now...you have this extended family in Bucky and Steve and Natasha and Clint...even Maria. I’m the odd one out. I guess I just thought that eventually you wouldn’t need me anymore and...that would be that. We would be colleagues and nothing more.” She felt horrible that she was just now realizing how deep her own hurt went on that front but...this all needed to be said. They weren’t ever exactly the champions of discussing hurt feelings. Or feelings in general.

Tony sucked in a breath and then leaned forward, hugging her tightly. “I missed you. So much.” And then he started to cry, just holding her close and breathing in her scent and relishing the  _ there _ -ness of her. 

“Tony, I’m so sorry,” Pepper whispered, hugging him firmly. “How did we ever get our wires crossed this much?” 

“Couldn’t ever not want you. In any reality,” Tony insisted, wiping at his eyes with one hand. “Always want you. I love you.” 

Pepper brushed a hand through his hair. “I love you too, sweet boy. And when you’re done needing to be teenage you, maybe you can come back and Phil can watch Scott...and adult you can give me that kiss.” 

Tony actually laughed, albeit a slightly hysterical one. He’d hit a breaking point and was due to slip again. “C’n I stay with you for a couple days?” he begged, finding that he was, after all, quite content to let her play Caregiver instead of girlfriend. 

“Of course you can,” she assured. “But I do have something to say you might  _ not _ like as much now.” 

“What’s that?” he sniffled, pulling away to look at her. 

She lovingly rubbed a finger over the arc reactor housing. “I think you might should have nap time too.” 

It wasn’t until a protest was half out of his mouth that Tony realized she was right. He could use a little catching up on sleep. He was strung out and exhausted and emotional and a good hour’s worth of napping would fix some of that. “M’kay.” he relented tiredly, and she kissed his cheek. 

“Okay.” Pepper took his hand and he followed like a lamb as she headed down to the guest room. “In you go,” she instructed after removing all the decorative pillows. 

Tony climbed into the bed meekly and she turned the light off. 

“Sweet dreams, my love. I’ll see you in an hour.” 

Tony drifted off to sleep with a smile on his face and warm feelings bubbling in his chest. It felt like a weight was lifted off his shoulders. Plus, he’d gained another little brother out of the events.


End file.
